Combination keyboard and cover for a handheld computer

• US 5,548,477 A
• Filed: 01/27/1995
• Issued: 08/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bivanti Systems Co LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Khyber Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Kumar, Rajendra, Morrison, John W. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FEILD, LYNN DIANA
• Application Number:
  US08/379,254
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 361/680, 361/681, 361/682, 361/724, 361/679, 361/683, 361/725, 361/727, 364/708.1
• US Class Current: 361/679.56
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0225 Rotatable telephones, i.e. the body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0231 Including a rotatable keypad body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A device (10) adding keyboard input to a handheld computer (12) lacking such input (such as pen computers and personal digital assistants) includes a keyboard (11) and a planar motion pivot mechanism (30). Planar motion pivot mechanism (30) includes a body (31) formed as a boot that encloses an end of the handheld computer (12), and a pivot pin (32). The user simply rotates keyboard (11) from a nonoperational position substantially covering the handheld computer display (14), to an operational position at substantially a right angle to the display (14).

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a handheld apparatus having a display including a first surface from which at least a portion of the display may be viewed;

a first input to said handheld apparatus including a second surface, said first input movable between an operational position and a nonoperational position; and

,

a planar motion mechanism carrying said first input and allowing planar motion between said second surface and said first surface whereby said first input may be selectably moved between said operational position and said nonoperational position.

2. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first input is a keyboard.

3. A device, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said planar motion mechanism includes a pivot pin and a body carried by said handheld apparatus and carrying said pivot pin and said keyboard, said keyboard rotating about said pivot pin.

4. A device, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said handheld apparatus has an end and said body is a boot that encloses said end of said handheld apparatus.

5. A device, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said keyboard is at substantially a right angle to said display when said keyboard is in said operational position.

6. A device, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said keyboard substantially covers said display when said keyboard is in said nonoperational position.

7. A device, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said handheld apparatus is one of a pen computer and personal digital assistant.